Safety guard



May 4, 1948. N. SIEGEL 2,440,728

SAFETY GUARD Filed April 1, 1947 INVENTOR. NA THAN 51565.4,

Patented May 4, i948 q NiTE S I {SA ETY GUARD Nathan Siegel, San Francisco,, Calif., assignor'to Granat Bros, San Fra i i"?! of Cal n a ncisco, Calif, a corporal lpplicationiApril 1, 1947, Serial No. '738,643

" (4,Claims. 1

This invention. relates tol safety :gllards for i ible guard attachment, designed to span a separable fastener or catch, which will serve to preserve continuity of a looped element such as a bracelet or necklace associated with the fastenershould the sections of the latter become separated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sturdy, although lightweight and comparatively inconspicuous guard of the character described.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the nature referred'to designedfor simplicity of attachment to any of the types of jewelry specified, or the like, by anyonenot necessarily possessed of even ordinary mechanical skill.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bracelet type article of jewelry showing the safety guard of my invention attached to the band thereof.

Figure 2 is a proportional, enlarged front elevational view of the safety guard and the band immediately adjacent the fastener showing the action of the guard in the event of separation of the band.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the guard, portions of the view being broken away so as to condense it and the mounting clips being shown, respectively, in open and closed positions.

Although many fasteners used to releasabl connect the associated sections of bracelets, necklaces and the like are reasonably secure when new, extended or rough usage may wear, loosen or spring the parts so that shock or strain thereafter imposed on the fastener may cause the latter to open or separate resulting in loss of the jewelry without the immediate knowledge of the wearer. So-called safety-fasteners have been evolved in circumvention of such losses but wear or structural damage may render such devices not entirely incapable of accidental opening or separation with the-possible loss of the valuable. The safety guardof my inventiony'is designed to circumvent such losses and is so. simple in'struca tureandmanner of application as to permitanyone to very quickly attach it to, an existingpjewellyarticle. h U

In the form of the invention, which I have chosen to illustrate in the drawing, I provide a link or member 4 of flexible material, such. as cord orthe chain shown, provided at its ends with attached metallic mounting clips 6 which, inthe illustrated case, may besoldered or otherwise suitably secured to the chain. The clips are substan tially c-shaped in form being provided with an open gap 1 at one side thereof defined by :rela tively spaced and confronting end portions 8 of the clip. The cross-sectional shape of the strip making up the clip is quite important since although the latter is omparatively small and is designed to be rather inconspicuous, the strength of the clip against forces which might tend to separate the portions 8 and thereby open. or enlarge the gap 1 should be of a maximum permissible value. I may embody flexion resistance into the clip in one of a plurality of ways such as by forming it from stock having a substantially solid triangular shape but I prefer to use a strip of flat thin sheet stock which is die-pressed into vshaped cross-sectional pattern to impart the desired rigidity to the element. The degree of inflexibility however is made only great enough so that it will not be a strenuous task for a person to squeeze the clip by the use of pliers or a similar tool and thereby bring the portions 8 together to narrow or close the gap 1. By deforming the clips to form closed loops about elements of bracelets and the like at opposite ends of the usually provided separable fastener 9, the safety guard may be secured in position bridging the fastener. Of eourse the clips 6 should be so positioned that enough slack will be left in the flexible member 4 to permit separation of the fastener elements far enough to permit the band to be slipped over the wearers hand or other portion of the body upon which the band is being worn.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the cord type of band I I used with ladies wrist watches 12 has become quite popular and deservedly so since it is light in weight, fairly inconspicuous and incapable of forming deep and long-lasting impressions in the skin of the wrist such as a metallic link band is capable of producing. The guard of my invention is particularly applicable to such cord bands as was described above and if the clips are securely attached at points spaced slightly from the ends of the fastener the guard will function to prevent loss of the watch, as shown in Figure 1 if, due to abrasion, constant flexing or accidental release of the cords from the means clamping them to the fastener, the cord should break or theloop should open, as it is often liable to do, at the point indicated by the numeral [3. The application of? the :guard to: such azbandzlis a relatively simple taskand may be 'readilyaccomplished by mechanical devices such as pliers or the like.

securing it to the band ll' the 'hookedend'portions 8 will be naturally bentdnwardly=toclose the gap 1 and to bring the portions 8 well into the crevise between the adjacent :cords therebysubstantially surrounding the cords and enhancing the security of attachment of the clip to the cords.

I laim:

f1 A iguardpin combination with a bracelet comprising'a band-of 'fiexiblecompressible mamember, a clip ofde'formable material on each 35 1 end'o'f' said flexible "member each clipping constructed and adapted :rer gripping and compressing said material of the bracelet a jacent to but entirely independently of the latching means on said bracelet open ends.

3. A guard, in combination with a bracelet 5 comprising a band of flexible compressible material having open ends and latching means on said open ends, said guard comprising a fi exible member, a G-ishaped clip o'f de'formable compress'ible material on ea'ch'end dfsaidflexible 1 member each clip being constructed and adapted It will be noted in Figure 3 that the 7 primary shape of the clip in its open conditiomis suchthat when the latter is squeezed in the act of i for gripping and compressing said material of thezbrmelet adjacent to but entirely independently of the latching means on said bracelet open ends. 1

1B '4..'JA guard, in combination with a bracelet comprisingaban'd of flexible compressible maiterlali-mavingxopen ends and latching means on said open ends, said guard comprising a flexible member, a C-shaped clip of deformable material 20 on each end of said flexible member each clip being construc'ted and adapted for gripping and compressing said material -o'fjthe bracelet a;djacent toibut entirely independently of the jlatching means on-said'bra'celet open-ends. i: I

V NATHAN-smash R FERENCES 'The idllowing references are or recordimthe 30 file of this patent: I

UNITED. s ATEsQRnfrENms Number :Name Date 13-84239 :Eederer u Dec. *9, 1930 LBlgney iDec. 5, 1933' 2,841,344 iMestekin s. May 326, 1936 

